


The Path of the Light

by CatiiaSofiia, MissChrisDaae



Series: Three Paths Not Followed [1]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, F/M, Padmé Amidala Lives, Protective Padmé Amidala
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-18 14:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18701665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatiiaSofiia/pseuds/CatiiaSofiia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissChrisDaae/pseuds/MissChrisDaae
Summary: Padmé manages to get through to Anakin in time.





	The Path of the Light

“My Lady, there's a Jedi fighter docking on the veranda.”

 _Oh, Force, please let it be him._ Padmé ran to her balcony, releasing a breath as she saw that it was Anakin standing there. “Ani…” she gasped, burying her face in his chest as she hugged him tightly. “Are you all right? I heard there was an attack on the Jedi Temple… You can see the smoke from here.”

He wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her curls. She always knew how to soothe his aching soul, even when she didn’t realize it. “I'm fine. I'm fine. I came to see if you and the baby are safe,” his hands drifted lower to rub over her stomach lovingly.

“Captain Typho's here, we're safe,” she reassured him softly. “What's happening?”

Anakin sighed, pulling back slightly. “The situation is not good. The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic…”

Ridiculous. Impossible. “I can't believe that!”

His stare hardened. “I couldn't either at first, but it's true. I saw Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself.”

“Anakin, what are you going to do?” What she didn’t ask, what she wanted to ask was, _what have you already done?_

He looked down and stepped away from her. Anakin knew that telling her the truth, right now, would make her more upset and it could hurt the baby she carried. After he returned from Mustafar, from the mission he was given, she would understand. “I will not betray the Republic… my loyalties lie with the Chancellor and with the Senate… and with you. I will do whatever is necessary.”

“Ani, I don’t know that you can be loyal to me or the Senate if you’re siding with the Chancellor,” she told him bluntly. “I think I was blind to it because he was my mentor for so long, but the reality is that he has been putting his best interests ahead of the galaxy’s lately.” She took a deep breath, desperately looking into his eyes for some kind of recognition of what she was saying.

“What are you saying, Padmé?” A flash of yellow crossed his dark blue eyes. “The Chancellor has always been a great friend of mine, a supporter. He has done nothing but being a friend and an advisor since I was nine and what he did for you? How can you think that of him?”

“I don’t want to—” she pulled back at the sight of his eyes. “What happened to you? You’re different, this isn’t like you.” Oh, but it was. She’d seen him like this before. When Clovis assaulted her. And on Tatooine, when… “Anakin, what have you done? Tell me the truth.”

“I told you, Padmé, what was necessary,” he hissed. “For you. I did it for _you_. For our baby,” his hands turned into fists. “I vowed I wouldn’t let you die and…” he shook his head. “It was a small price to pay.”

“What price?” She grabbed him by the arms. “Anakin, how can I trust you when you won’t tell me what’s going on?”

“The Dark Side,” he raised his chin. “It will grant me enough power to save you,” his voice softened. “This way, the three of us… we can be together. We can… Padmé,” his smile was of someone who clearly was not in their right mind, “we can rule the Galaxy together. No more hiding, or being a secret. We can be us, and the world can and will know us.”

“If you do this,” she said gravely, releasing her grip on him, “we will _never_ be together again. You will have destroyed the man I fell in love with, and I will not reward that. Do you even hear yourself?”

“We _will_ be together,” he said forcefully, grabbing her arms to keep her from stepping away, from _leaving._ “All that I have done and fought for was a chance for us to be together and I found it. I will have enough power to save you. I can’t let you die. I _won’t_ let you die! I did not go through _three_ kriffing years of _war_ just to let you die!” Anakin shouted, deranged, the yellow slipping into his irises.

“And you think the Dark Side, the side of the Force built on chaos and destruction and _lies,_ is what will save me?” She stared at him in disbelief. “How did you even get the idea such a thing was possible?”

“The Chancellor told me about the tale of Darth Plagueis. It had been his Master and he saved people from dying before, using the midi-chlorians. The Chancellor promised me he would teach me his ways and that I could save you, how can you reject that?” He cried, desperate, as his hold on her tightened.t that?” He cried, desperate, as his hold on her tightened.

“Because if the price for my life is your soul, I will not pay it,” she swore, struggling to pull away. “Truly, Anakin, does none of this seem wrong to you? That you would dream of my death only for the Chancellor to miraculously have a solution? Think about it!”

“ _You think about_ —”

At first, he couldn’t understand what had happened. He wanted to _shake_ her for not following him, for doubting his reason. Doubting his _love_ for her. In fact, he was going to shake her, so that some sense could enter her when he was shoved back. Not by her. He towered over her and, as feisty as his wife could be, she was nearly eight months pregnant and could not summon up all that strength. It had been an invisible force to _shove_ him away from her, sending him toppling to the ground and end his angry rant.

“What the—” he whispered, shaking his head, that rang with the snap of the Force around him. It had not come _from_ him but it had come from _very_ close to them. No other Force-sensitive beings were present, except... His eyes locked on her stomach and he felt appalled. His own _child._ But how could a little one, not even out of the— his eyes narrowed as his breath hitched. There was _two_ of them! Of course! Their combined desire to protect their mother from the distress and anguish he could see now on her face manifested in the Force.

“Ani, _please_ ,” Padmé implored, braced against the wall as she cradled her stomach, seemingly unaware of the significance in what had just happened. “I don’t want to lose you to this darkness. I love you.”

Anakin blinked, the gold melting away from his irises as if the Dark Side was recoiling. They had protected her. From him. Two unborn lives had to protect the woman he loved from himself.

It was as if a mirror had shattered in his brain.

He stood up, shakily. Their life forces were still resistant. They weren’t as nearly as powerful as he was, but they were already powerful enough to fend him off, to protect their mother, their caretaker. They would become more powerful than him, growing up, and he couldn’t stop the pride he suddenly felt at that.

“Ani, what will happen to our baby?” Padmé asked, still trying to get through to him. “If you do this, what will the Chancellor do to them? Will they have to grow up calling him Master?”

He took a couple of steps forward but stopped when he felt the resistance, almost like a barrier. He could easily walk through it, but the message was clear. They no longer trusted him to keep their mother safe and he felt as if he had been gutted. Anakin raised his hands, in clear gesture of surrender. “I’m not—I’m not going to hurt you,” his eyes flickered between her and her stomach. “I’m sorry—I’m so sorry.” Padmé tilted her head, her chest rising and falling as she watched him fearfully. “Our babies will be fine,” he guaranteed and took another step forward, finding the barrier less resistant, but still there. “Safe. I heard you. I did. Loud and clear,” he said, shakily.

“Babies?” she repeated.

His eyes, that had been focusing on her stomach, almost as if he had been speaking to the children inside instead of the mother, flickered back to her brown, worried ones. “You’re carrying twins, love,” he whispered with a hint of a smile. “They just protected you,” he swallowed down and, ashamed, looked away, “from me. They were the ones to shove me back. Unborn and already so aware, so powerful.”

“Please, Ani, tell me you won’t keep going down this path, tell me you won’t let the Chancellor do this to our family. To our _babies._ ”

Anakin stopped, he was inches away from her. Suddenly, everything was in perspective. No matter the side he chose, he would lose all of them. His eyes filled with water as he fell on his knees, defeated for the second time that night. He shook his head. “You’ll _die,_ ” he said brokenly, helplessly. “I can’t… I can’t live without you, I won’t.”

“I don’t believe that,” she insisted firmly. “I think the Chancellor is using that fear to get you on his side. Ani, tell me this, if you were only able to save one of us, which would it be?”

“I will always save you,” he replied in a heartbeat.

“And you think he’ll let you be loyal to someone other than him?”

“I just want him to help me save you, I’ll kill him after if I have to,” there was that cold anger again, slipping into his voice and he felt the nudge of the Force away, pushing him away. Uh, they didn’t like when he was angry.

“Ani, _no._ The Dark Side isn’t the answer,” she insisted. “You know it isn’t.”

Defeated, he only nodded. Padmé was right. Of course she was right. His children were right. If he had chosen the Dark Side, they would have rejected him, despised him. They made that clear from their stunt minutes earlier. But he couldn’t help the vision of her dying at childbirth, screaming his name. He moaned in pain, quietly, as he nodded again. “I know.”

“Love, let me help,” she whispered, reaching out to him. “You don’t have to do this alone. We can figure out a way to stop him.”

“You’re eight months pregnant with twins, Padmé, I want you to leave for Naboo. To your family. You can’t stay here,” he stood on trembling knees.

“How can you ask me to leave you?” she whispered. “With _him_? I can’t raise our children alone.”

“ _I_ can’t raise them. Not without you,” he shook his head. “You have to be safe. Obi-Wan… he’ll be on Coruscant soon, I can ask his help. He will help me. I will explain to him after we do _something_ and I hope he forgives me, but I can’t stay sane if I know you are at risk. Padmé, please,” he pleaded softly, and as he laid his hands on her stomach, he felt two strong kicks, as if he was being rejected. He dropped his hands, resigned and stepped back. “Leave. Be out of here and if anything happens, do whatever you need to keep you all safe.”

Tears began to form in her eyes. “I don’t want this to be the last time I see you.”

Anakin leaned forward, kissing her forehead and letting his lips linger at her skin. “It will all be over soon.”

“That’s _not_ reassuring!”

“Think about our babies,” he whispered. “You have to do this for them, no matter my fate. They are our main priority. If something does happen to me, you’ll always have them. I love you, Padmé Amidala. Always have, always will. Please, never forget that.”

She reached beneath her nightgown and pulled out the japor snippet. “Take it. You need the luck more than I do.”

He took it and placed it around his neck. “I’ll go and try to stall the Chancellor. Please, _please_ ask Typho to leave immediately. Don’t pack anything, just grab the essential and go home to Naboo.”

“Don’t you dare die.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, my love,” he said but the smile he gave her was a sad one, a parting one.

Turning on his heel, he returned to his fighter, jumping inside.

* * *

“My lady, we will leave as soon as the Chancellor approves—”

“The Chancellor is not to know of this!” Padmé shouted at Typho. “I need to leave _now_ , Typho, it is chaos out there.”

Typho was taken aback but didn’t question his orders. As he turned to leave, he stopped. “Master Kenobi?”

“I need to speak with Senator Amidala,” Obi-Wan requested, his face closed, guarded.

“We were about to depart for Naboo, Master Kenobi,” Typho replied.

“Padmé,” Obi-Wan stepped around the captain without any kind of trouble. “Padmé, I need to talk to you about Anakin.”

Padmé stopped and looked at the Jedi Master fearfully. “Have you heard from him? Is he alive?”

Meanwhile, Typho exited the room to finish arranging their travel. Obi-Wan sighed. “I am afraid I am the bearer of bad news, Padmé,” he said heavily. He reached into his pocket to find the holo that has been given to him by Master Yoda. “You need to see this.”

Padmé watched hesitantly as the form of a hooded man standing and Anakin kneeling flickered into view. “ _Now, Lord Vader, now go and bring peace to the Empire,_ ” the standing figure croaked, and Padmé recognized the voice. Palpatine. Even though she’d already known the truth about him, it was still chilling to hear. And _Vader_. Such an awful name. So wrong for her husband.

“Anakin has chosen the Dark Side, Padmé and I need to find him so I can stop whatever madness the Chancellor has ordered him to do,” Obi-Wan said, painfully watching the holo at her side. “If you know where he is, I need you to tell me.”

“He’s already stopped,” she answered coldly. “He came to me last night. And he’s stopped. If you’re going to try and kill him, Obi-Wan, I won’t be a part of it.”

“What?” Obi-Wan widened his eyes. “You’ve reasoned with him? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said. “Now tell me the truth, Obi-Wan, are you willing to listen to me?”

“He could have lied to you, Padmé, deceived you. He’s a Sith now, we can’t trust them. If you tell me where he went, I promise I will try to protect him as much as I can, but I need to find him before he does anything rash.”

“Obi-Wan.” Padmé pulled aside her robe, letting him see the curve of her stomach. “He is _not_ a Sith. Not when he knows that would cost him his family.”

“So he is the father of your child,” Obi-Wan stated, with a nod. “I should have known. You truly believe you were able to pull him from the dark edge the Chancellor placed him in?”

“Not me. The twins,” Padmé corrected. “They protected me against him. And it _changed_ something in him. He came back to himself.”

“Twins?” The Jedi whispered, looking down at her stomach. “May I…?” He lifted one hand towards her. She hesitated, then nodded. Placing her hand over her round stomach, he gasped softly. “Yes. They’re powerful. And resistant, they are ready to defend you if necessary, I never saw anything like it. Never did we have twins with equal Force gifts at the Temple, it’s extraordinary,” there was a slight nudge against his hand. “Well, hello little one.”

“They will _not_ be going to the Temple!” Padmé pulled back. “They are my children, mine and Anakin’s!”

“I did not mean to upset you, Padmé, nor was I saying they would be taken,” Obi-Wan said, trying to placate her. “I don’t doubt that they broke him out of whatever spell the Chancellor had on him. Since they are his children, they are all bonded by the Force, and if they felt the Dark Side poisoning him… they reacted accordingly, they are children of the light, after all. They might have been the only ones capable of waking him up from this dark nightmare, even before being born,” he truly looked more relieved. “I need to know where he is, Padmé. Before it’s too late.”

She hesitated. “The Chancellor. He’s gone to confront him. To kill him and put a stop to this.”

“He has not returned? You said this was last night?”

“He might have gone to the Temple first. It was burning, there were children in there.”

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully. “Leave Anakin to me. I’ll find him. You should be going, Padmé. Coruscant is not safe. Take care of yourself and the little ones.”

“There is good in him, Obi-Wan, don’t doubt him.”

“I will believe in you, my dear friend,” he gave her a weak smile and turned on his heel to leave, his worry over Anakin increasing. If the Chancellor realized his plan had failed… at the same moment he left, Typho passed by him with a solemn nod and informed the Senator that their ship was ready for departure.

“May the Force be with us all,” Padmé whispered under her breath.

* * *

Anakin writhed in agony as he tried not to give in to the madness that the Sith lightning was inducing on him for an uncertain amount of time. He held on for long enough, he had to give himself credit for that. After leaving Padmé’s apartment, he had stopped a the Temple first. He might have been responsible for one Jedi’s death, but he wouldn’t stand by and watch the rest of them burn and be shot down as if they were a disease.

The children… he managed to save all the children. One day, maybe, those children would teach his own the Force and they were all safe, because of him. He could die happy with that knowledge alone.

He has refused the Dark Side and maintained a promise to his wife. He hoped that, if he did die, his children would later learn to love him despite his mistakes.

As another electrical current tortured his nerves, he screamed in pain for the first time. It was becoming unbearable.

When the Chancellor discovered and saw past his lies and deception, his plan was simple. Torture Anakin until he submitted, once and for all to his teaching, or watch him die suffering for his refusal.

“Give in, Vader. Spare yourself further pain and think of what I can teach you,” Sidious hissed. “You’ll be able to find them. You will be able to _make_ her yours again. I can give you everything you ever wanted. Just swear the oath.”

“Not… this time…” Anakin managed to say as his breathing was irregular. “Do… do your worse.”

“Oh, I will.” Just as the lightning was about to strike, a blue lightsaber blade swung in front of Anakin, catching the surge of electricity and deflecting it.

“To be clear, this makes us even!” Obi-Wan shouted, straining to keep the defense up.

“Cato Neimoidia… still counts,” Anakin coughed as a surge of gratitude burst through him.

“Kenobi,” Sidious snarled. “So, Grievous failed me.”

“I wasn’t the only disappointment tonight, I see,” Anakin quipped, struggling to stand as he summoned his lightsaber to him.

“But the greater one by far.” Sidious unleashed one last volley of lightning. Anakin barely escaped it, deflecting it with the blade, but his body was already so tortured, he tumbled to the side. “If you will not join me, Vader, then you will die. And I will have to hunt down your progeny. Perhaps even cut it out of your dear wife. She’s served her purpose.”

His eyes saw red and he stood, with probably more strength than what he truly had and whirled his lightsaber. “You will never, _ever_ lay one finger on my children. Or my wife,” he hissed through his teeth and Obi-Wan trying to contain the exasperated sigh and roll of his eyes at the term. _Of course they are kriffing married._ “You are going to die. Tonight.”

“Oh, I doubt it,” Sidious cackled.

With a burst of the Force, Anakin leaped forward and ran his lightsaber through the old man’s heart. “Don’t ever doubt the lengths that I will go through to protect my family.”

Palpatine’s mouth dropped open as he slumped forward on the lightsaber. The two Jedi could feel the dark energy leaving his body, returning to the Force with a shudder. Obi-Wan looked at Anakin.

“It seems we have a lot to talk about.”

“Maybe… maybe later…” Anakin mumbled as his body finally gave in and succumbed to the pain, sending him crashing to the ground, his world fading to black.

* * *

Padmé had opted not to listen to any news once she reached Varykino, instead busying herself with preparing the nursery for the twins. Her family had been kind enough to help her get a second set of all the baby things she would need, despite being upset that she’d kept her marriage and pregnancy a secret. But now that she was done redecorating, all there really was left to do was wait for news of Anakin.

The twins could come any day now, and there was still no sign of him.

“Hi,” a shy voice came from the doorway to the nursery. Turning around, she sighed in relief at the sight of her husband.

“You’re alive.”

“You did threaten me,” he joked weakly. “I would never dare to go against your wishes, my love.”

“I didn’t threaten you, I firmly requested,” she corrected petulantly, waddling towards him with a hand on her back and one on her stomach

“How are you?” He asked, entering the nursery, meeting her halfway. “How are they?”

“I’m exhausted and ready to stop being pregnant. As for them,” she wet her lips and smiled a little. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Anakin hesitated. Yet, he raised his hands and placed them at her stomach, waiting for the shove or the kick of rejection that never came. Instead, he found his children peacefully and patiently waiting for their time to arrive. There was a nudge against his hand, like it was one of their little palms. “Not eager at all to be born, I’ll tell you that,” he laughed, eyes brimming with tears.

“Little monsters.”

“They just love you,” he whispered. “Nearly as much as I do. I’m sorry for what I put you through, I really am.”

“Just tell me that it’s over.” She leaned against him for support. “Tell me everything.”

"It's over," Anakin whispered kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and finally her lips. "The Chancellor is dead. We managed to stop Order 66 and save most of the Jedi. Bail Organa has stepped up as interim Chancellor and I am no longer a Jedi by choice," he said. "I'm your husband. The father of these two babies that will soon be born and take over our lives."

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard better news,” she sighed happily.

He chuckled. “I am all yours from now on, love. Whatever will you do with me?”

“Well, I need to reintroduce you to my family. And probably ask you to marry me again. And—” She stopped, placing a hand on her stomach with a frown. “And help me to the boat you took here, because I think we need to get to the medcenter.”

“If anything, I’m the one who has to propose again,” he snickered before turning serious. “They were peaceful a moment ago,” he whispered, placing a hand on top of hers. Sure enough, he could feel the beginning of the contractions. “Eh, I think they are already practicing interruption of the parents,” Anakin beamed. “Lean on me, Angel, and let’s get you to the boat.”

“Ow,” Padmé whimpered as she followed his instructions and they slowly walked towards the villa’s dock. “These two better be worth it, Ani, or you can forget having more.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to decide that,” he smiled happily. “I love you, Angel.”

“I’ll try to remember that— _ow!_ ” she yelped as another contraction hit. “Luke, Leia, I don’t know which one of you that was, but stop it!”

“Luke and Leia?” He raised his eyebrows. “When did _we_ choose the names, my love?” He teased as he helped her down the stairs.

“We didn’t. I just,” she winced. “Know somehow.”

“I’ll name the next one,” Anakin said with a chuckle. “But they’re perfect. Luke and Leia Skywalker.”

“I’m glad you approve,” she mumbled, nearly toppling over as she lost her balance but Anakin kept a steady hold on her. “Oh, Force, I don’t know if I can make it.”

“Padmé, you have to. I don’t know how to deliver a baby, let alone two of them,” Anakin said alarmed. “I’ll help you with the contractions, I can keep them bearable while we don’t arrive at the medcenter.”

“You’re going to need to help me walk a little more, then. Or carry me.”

“Alright,” he breathed and picked her up bridal style, wincing but not letting it show. “Hold on to me.”

“I love you,” she mumbled, hugging him tightly.

* * *

“So, what have we learned today?” Padmé asked, comfortably nestled in her medcenter bed with Luke swaddled tightly in her arms. The baby cooed and hiccuped, and even without the Force, she could feel the love radiating from him. “We’ve learned Mamma’s always right, yes, we have, haven’t we, my sweet boy?”

Anakin smiled, completely in love with his family. Leia was nestled in his arms, in her pink blanket and was deep asleep after nursing. “They are so perfect. I can’t believe I had any part in this,” he joked as he memorized Leia’s little features and how her fists were framing her face, ready to fight if necessary. “I didn’t think I could love anyone more than I love you, but…”

“But you do, and I don’t mind,” she finished. “I take it back, we can definitely have more. Once these two are a little older because right now, Mamma and Daddy aren’t allowed to have sex.”

“For the next six weeks only,” Anakin cooed to Leia who stirred and threw a smirk at his wife. “If they let us, of course, I hear babies don’t like parents spending time together,” he snickered.

“Well, this is their world now, we just live in it,” she conceded, putting Luke to her breast as he started fussing. “Two adorable little dictators.”

“I love you,” Anakin whispered, kissing her forehead carefully not to disturb Leia. “I will be forever thankful you brought me to reason. You and the twins. I would have been lost without you three.”

“You think I wouldn’t have been?” she murmured back. “I need you just as much, Anakin. You’re the other half of my soul. I couldn’t lose you. _We_ couldn’t lose you.”

“I know,” he nodded slowly. “Fortunately, we are all here. Together. The Galaxy might need some work but it's no longer under the threat of a dictator and a Sith. It no longer needs us as before. We have two little ones who do and that is all I want to focus for the time being. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” She leaned up to kiss him softly. “And we have the rest of our lives to get it right.”


End file.
